Abstract
Lasers can often be used successfully to treat flat precancerous lesions, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) is becoming increasingly important here as well. The role of the laser must be newly and more clearly defined. In certain cases it is a good alternative to PDT and to cryotherapy. Thicker and/or nodular lesions should be excised by conventional surgical methods in most cases, as histological monitoring of the margins is needed and the long-term results are better. The decision to use laser systems in the treatment of malignant tumors should be reserved for exceptional cases; it may be indicated when a lesion is inoperable. Whenever there is the slightest doubt about the benign or malignant nature of a tumor, a biopsy must be taken and examined to exclude malignancy. The occurrence of a precancerous lesion or a malignant tumor demands careful and frequent follow-up observation of the patient in all cases.
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Raulin, C., Karsai, S., Schmitt, L. (2011). Precancerous Conditions and Malignant Tumors. In: Raulin, C., Karsai, S. (eds) Laser and IPL Technology in Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03438-1_12
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